“The Benefits of Being a Teacher.”
I have just work as an English teacher for 2 weeks. I found that being a teacher is such a kind of being a person who is always giving. Sometimes, I felt that’s quite a hard an tough job. I try looking it’s like a challenge.
To make someone to be good and smart is really hard but teachers have to do that to their many students that never stop changing from one to another group. Since I have been an English teacher, I found lots of benefits which are the following.
The more I teach English, the more I can get my English improved. Every time I’m teaching my students, I don’t even know myself that I’m teaching myself as well.
Sometimes, I can also learn from the students, too. There was a time, they asked me the question that I’m not sure about the answer. So, I just told them that I would find out the answer and tell them on the next day. Then, I came back home and tried to find out that answer. Without knowing myself, I learned more from doing that. Because of the student, I can get myself more knowledge. I believe that I can get more and more knowledge and experience as long as I’m a teacher.
Besides, being a teacher can also make me good at planning. Every time before I come to class, I must have been finished planning the lesson that I’m going to teach the students. When I start teaching, I just follow up the plan I made before. I’m sure that if I do the teaching plan just like a routine it can help me to plan my life more efficiency.
Watchara Yenprem

First writting

Hi!
This is my first writing; I had thought about the subject for a long time until last night. I have got my friend a message. It’s the Dalai Lama’s living suggestions. I think it is a good way of our life, so I decided to translate it for everyone. I hope you will like it. (And I hope you will understand every thing that I wrote; some sentence I don’t know how to write it.)

Suggestion for living

1. Remember that if you would like to get the love and the successful, you have to get the dangerous too.
2. When you lose, don’t forget it, but keep it in your mind. It’s a good experience.
3. Do 3R rules.
Respect for self.
Respect for others.
Responsibility for every thing you did.
4. Remember sometimes that you don’t do things as you like. It will bring a wonderful luck to you.
5. Learns about rules for disobedience them moderately.
6. Don’t brawl about a little thing; it may break your great relationship.
7. Whenever you realize that you did something wrong. Don’t wait for making amends.
Live alone sometimes in each day.
8. Ready to change the bad point in yours, and keep your good point with you.
9. Reminding, a good answer is maybe the silent.
10. Maintain your integrity. When you are old and think of this, you will happy.
11. Warmness in the family is the basic of life.
12. If you have angry with someone you love. Talking the recently problem. Don’t talk about the past.
13. Share your knowledge to others for the eternal way.
14. Polite with everybody in the world.
15. At least 1 time/year, you should travel to any places that you have never gone.
16. The best relationship is love, not desire.
17. To consider you successful or not? Consider things that you had dedicated.
18. Be close the love by not take something to heart.

How about it? If you can do these guides, I think you will be happier.

Nat (Newbie writer)

About Myself

I would like to say hi to everybody. I am glad to meet you again. I don't know what I will write in my first essay. Well, I would like to introduce myself firstly. Duo to I am a quiet girl maybe someone in the class don't know me. You can call me BIN (mean in Thai naja not in English). I guess you are doubting that my name from, aren't you? I was born in the hospital of the Air force trainning school, Nakhonphathom Province. Formerly, Nakhonphathom was not wax and our house was far away form the hospital of the province. I am the first one in our family that was born in hospital. My sisters and my brother were born at home by a midwife so, my father gave me this name.

My hobbies are seeing movie, if I have time I will see every programs as I can, reading Thai novel and now I try to read English novel to practice myself.

Pls. remember impossible is nothing.
Napaporn

First Blog ... WahN

Good afternoon (almost evening) everybody,

Today is a busy day for me. I have many things to do on this days. I feel tied after I woke up. I don't want to go to work but I must. Lucky for me, I don't have many works. It's only a few photocopies. I think, that's OK. I' m not tried.
(I could save my energy for the evening.)

In the evening, I must go to teach English for children at Baptist student center. Lucky for me again, today I teach adolescents. They are not naughty but so much talkative. That' s OK. for me. After finish teaching, I will go home early because I don't have someone to pick me to my home. I must feel certain lonely. So I hurry to back home immediately for dinner with my family.


:P

My Desire

When I was young, I didn't know what my favorite subject is. I knew only, it was my responsibility to do the best that I can in every subject. With the norm of Thai student at that time, so I had decided to study in the field of Math-Science. Again and again, I did it the best that I can in every subject. I also knew that I always happy when I studied or read a lot of books that concerned with history. I hesitated to choose a faculty for studying in the University between Science and Archaeolgy. At that time, I had not much time for start learning more and more in Archaeology, so I decided to study in the field of Science at Mahidol University. I still did the same. Right now, I'm also interesting to read history but I find that my favorite subject is English. I always happy to listen English songs, read many thriller novels and study more about translations. I proud of myself that I finally found out my love subject. English is my desire.

Welcome to Semester 3

Dear all,

Good morning my friend. Today is Friday 5 June 2009.
The first time, I would like say that Welcome to Report-Writing
of Semester 3 of 2009. Yesterday, it was birthday of Ajarn Sripen that
we can sang for her. Another one I am very happy come back to
meet with Ajarnkarnchanok and my friend.
Since I was a kid I liked to study English language. And the first time
to write long that it might be wrong but I try to make the best.
So you can advice me.
For me, I think that study this term will be very funny and hard
in the same time. So it is challeng for me that I will have increase
knowledge and understand in study writing class.
And I promise with myself that I will try to make it the best.
Finally, For today I would have to stop writing it.
I pound to meet with all. See you next post na ka.

***Where there's a will, there's a way.***
Coming Soon.
Love all S-MTEB51 Kha.

First writing from Tuang

Dear all,



I think tonight is a good time for type my first assay. I really don't know what I gonna type. Well, how about something that doesn't relate with our course?. Let's enjoy with me.
I would show you my space: http://greenheadthailand.spaces.live.com/ Click and visit anytime. In pictures will show you how was I so happy in trips! You will know some part of my life from pictures that what I have been doing in USA also. I have got a chance to travel and I didn't suppose to stay there for long-term. It was my expectation to visit in other country. I have stayed with my wonderful impressive host family, triplets and a boy. Here is them Blog: http://stephenstriplets.blogspot.com/ Click and visit them. I miss them so much and I have promised to visit them after I graduated Master. Right now, I don't sure that I can go to USA again or not because I have not enough money. :-( ... so bad.

Life goes on,
Tuangporn (S-MTEB2)

First jurnoal by Aj

Dear all,


Firstly, I would like to tell everybody that I thinking of all so much in break up and want to see everybody early.

When I went to university, I'm very happy but I'm so tried, beacuse I'm in pregnancy about six months and so big belly.

I had ultrasound and found that my baby is a daughter and give to about the beginning of September.

I'm very excites and want to see my baby, I think everybody will exite like me. Right?

I love everybody.

Aj

Course Syllabus (Semester 1/2009)

Department of Languages, Faculty of Applied Arts

King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok

Program in Translation for Education and Business

815406 Research and Report Writing

Semester: 1/2009

Class schedule: Wednesday, 6-9 p.m.

Instructor: Karnchanoke Wattanasin, Ph.D.

Technical Education Bldg., Room 703

Office Hours: By appointment

Course Description

This course focuses primarily on the development of students’ skills in writing in English. Students will be exposed to a myriad of writing practices, ranging from expressive to academic writing, as well as reading texts of their interests and those pertaining to translation research (TR). Major course activities include reading, class discussion, writing essays, peer review of students’ writing, and conferencing with the instructor.

Objectives

In this course, students will:

1. Learn and practice writing skills that will help them to write;
2. Read texts, and write to express their thoughts and to comment on the texts they have read; and
3. Write multiple drafts of essays and reports based on their reading and class discussions, and an essay summarizing and critiquing a translation research.

Evaluation

The assessment of this course is principally based on students’ on-line evaluation-free journals at http://815406.blogspot.com/, essay writing and submission, and class participation. Students will write at least 6 class essays for the entire semester, and are allowed to choose their own topics, with two required essays: one transactional-academic (TA) essays, and one expressive-transactional (ET) essay. Overall, class essays include:

1. Weekly on-line journal entries, at least one double-spaced A4 page in length. All journal entries must be submitted 3 days prior to each class.
2. Expressive-transactional (ET) essays: 1-2 double-spaced pages per essay.
3. Transactional-academic (TA) essays: 2-3 double-spaced pages per essay. For Essay 5, students are required to read and discuss one translation research (TR) paper of their choice and write a summary and critique of the research. The essay must be accompanied by an abstract of the research being discussed.
4. One reflection (ET) essay submitted with the portfolio: 1-2 double-spaced pages. This essay is a reflection on the author’s experience with writing in this class, comments and suggestions for further class structure and activities. No multiple drafts required

The in-class writing activity allows each student to spend 3 weeks on one essay. It is suggested, however, that students revise and write further drafts and submit them after they receive feedback from the instructor and/or peers thereafter. Hard copies are required for all primary drafts, while final drafts may be submitted electronically. Students are also required to make multiple hard copies for their classmates for peer review. During the last week of class, each student will submit his/her portfolio—a collection of written works he/she has completed during the semester, which includes both first and final drafts of: their on-line journals, in-class essays, and the reflection paper. There is no midterm or final examination. Evaluation is divided into:

Attendance and participation	30%
On-line journal entries and essay submission and revision	30%
Translation research summary and critique	10%
Portfolio	30%
Total	100%

Suggested Readings and References

APA style essentials. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2007, from http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/index.aspx?doc_id=796

Carnicelli, T. A. (1980). The writing conference: A one-to-one conversation. In T. R. Donovan & B. W. McClelland (Eds.). Eight approaches to teaching composition (pp. 101-131). Urbana, IL: NCTE.

Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (2^nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Elbow, P. (1998). Writing with power. New York: Oxford University Press.

Elbow, P. (2000). Everyone can write. New York: Oxford university Press.

Flower, L. (1979). Writer-based prose: A cognitive basis for problems in writing. College English, 41, 19-37, Reprinted in Leeds, B. (Ed.). (1996). Writing in a second language: Insights from first and second language teaching and research. New Jersey: Longman.)

Hayakawa, S. I. & Hayakawa, A. R. (1990). Language in thought and action. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers.

Horton, S. R. (1982). Thinking through writing. Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press.

Huff, R. & Kline, C. R., Jr. (1987). The contemporary writing curriculum. New York: Teachers College Press.

Leeds, B. (2003). How to teach EFL/ESL writing: A basic guide for Thai teachers. PASAA, 34, 80-102.

Leki, I. (1998). Academic writing: Exploring processes and strategies (2^nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Mittan, R. (1989). The peer review process: Harnessing students’ communicative power. In D. M. Johnson & D. H. Roen (Eds.). Richness in writing. New York: Longman.

Murray, D. M. (1982). Teaching the other self: The writer’s first reader. College Composition and Communication, 33, 140-147.

Murray, D. M. (2004). The craft of revision (5^th edition). Canada: Thomson Heinle.

Paraphrasing. (n.d.). Retrieved June 16, 2007, from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/01/

Perl, S. (1980). Understanding composing. Reprinted in S. Perl (Ed.). Landmark essays on writing process (pp. 99-105). CA: Hermagoras Press.

Rose, M. (1980). Rigid rules, inflexible plans, and the stifling of language: A cognitivist analysis of writer’s block. Reprinted in S. Perl (Ed.). Landmark essays on writing process (pp. 85-97). CA: Hermagoras Press.

Spatt, B. (1991). Writing from sources (3^rd edition). New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Williams, J. M. (1990). Style. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Zinsser, W. (2006). On writing well (7^th, edition). New York: Collins.

Course Outline

1 Jun 3	- Course orientation (Course and student goals) - Writing as a vehicle for thoughts; multiple-draft writing - Types of writing ICW: Essay 1.1	HW: Start looking for a TR paper; find texts to write about; write your journal on the blog.
2 Jun 10	Generating ideas: Pre-writing activities I ICW: Essay 1.2	AD: Essay 1.1 HW: Bring to class a text you are interested in.
3 Jun 17	- Reading to write: Finding main and supporting ideas - Peer review for main and supporting ideas ICW: Essay 1.3	AD: Essay 1.2
4 Jun 24	Generating ideas: Pre-writing activities II ICW: Essay 2.1	AD: Essay 1.3
5 Jul 1	Writing from reading I: Summary writing ICW: Essay 2.2 RM: You should have a TR paper with you by now.	AD: Essay 2.1
6 Jul ___	Writing from reading II: Paraphrasing ICW: Essay 2.3	AD: Essay 2.2 HW: Bring to class an academic paper (article from a journal).
7 Jul 15	Respecting sources and the reader: Citation ICW: Essay 3.1 A summary and discussion of a text you have written	AD: Essay 2.3
8 Jul 22	- Writing for an audience I: The tip-of-the-iceberg phenomenon and the writer’s two selves - Peer review: Finding the tips of the iceberg ICW: Essay 3.2	AD: Essay 3.1
Jul 27-Aug 2	No class (Midterm week) RM: If you have not done so, start reading your TR paper now.
9 Aug 5	Writing for an audience II: Anticipating the reader’s questions ICW: Essay 3.3	AD: Essay 3.2
10 Aug ___	- Making use of grammar - Peer review for grammar work ICW: Essay 4.1	AD: Essay 3.3
11 Aug 19	Making use of vocabulary ICW: Essay 4.2	AD: Essay 4.1
12 Aug 26	Style and organization ICW: Essay 4.3	AD: Essay 4.2
13 Sept 2	Cohesion ICW: Essay 5.1 Summary and critique of TR	AD: Essay 4.3
14 Sept 9	- Coherence - Peer review for coherence ICW: Essay 5.2	AD: Essay 5.1
15 Sept 16	Review Conclusion to course	AD: Essay 5.2
Sept 23	No class (Final week)	AD: Portfolio

Khun Bud's Post

After review the journal, I understand that the writer-based prose is a raw thought of writer and the reader-based prose is a process that transform the polished thought to the reader. However, among the transforming processes, the effective writer needs some techniques to help organize such raw thought for the purpose to let the reader to have the readable and understandable verbal.

Reading this journal remind me of "Self" and the "Other self". Self is a rather raw thought and other self is tool or process that imporves thought to be readable and understandable. Please give me some advices if my concept is not correct.

Best regards, Budsayamas

Writer-Based Prose: A Cognitive Basic for Problems in Writing

Writer-based prose is the problem in communication breakdown between writer and reader because of the writer talking to himself more than the reader.
Reader-based prose is the purpose of the writer’ thought. But I really like Reader-based because it’s clear and cohesive for the reader and it can improve writing in re-writing but Writer-base prose is also important about the information.

Writer-Based Prose: A Cognitive Basis for Problems in Writing

Writer-Based Prose: A Cognitive Basis for Problems in Writing

First, I can not read all the text of Linda Flower but I think I understand when I’ve read text by skim when it almost finish.

I agreed with Linda Flower that Writer-Based prose is a natural and adequate for a writer writing to himself or herself (P.62) because it come from the deep or all of his/her thinking and it is pure. That can be comparing with the research of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky about inner speech and egocentrism. They suggest about the speech of the child that the child talks only about himself, takes no interest in his interlocutor, does not try to communicate, expects no answer, and often does not even care whether anyone listen to him (P.63) that mean it come from their feeling at that moment and they express in that moment. If we can compare 2 theories we will see the theories have same way that expression and purely. So I conclude about the Writer-Based prose is a writing that the writer use his/her own term or word for themselves, thus the reader maybe not understand because it’s from the natural sense from the writer, I think it’s call “free-writing”. Although Writer-Based prose is come from the pure feeling and thinking but in the process of writing the writer must re-think before he/she writes down on the paper.

For the case study of Linda Flower’s student show that when you write you must have to re-write your work for make it better than the first paper, that mean your brain must has more process to do more than the first and your brain use a complex thinking how to do your writing paper.

For me I know I’m a Writer-Based prose and I think everyone, too if we a writer beginner. Writer-Based prose is necessary for every one and come from every one instinct.

Thank you.

Writer-Based Prose

Linda Flower start her text with saying that if writing is simply the act of "expressing what you think" or "saying what you mean," why is writing often such a difficult thing to do? and why it often fail to communicate the same meaning to the reader? (p.62) Of course, I think so. Every time I have to write to express what I think, I spend a long time to finist it. Even so I can't convey all my thought to a reader and sometime they don't understand what I mean.

I can conclude that Writer-Based prose is writing that the writer write to himself and reflect the associative and describe the subject which the writer encounter. While Reader-Based prose is an attempt to communicate something to a reader. Linda said Reader-Based prose reflect the purpose of the writer's thought; Writer-Based prose tends to reflect its process.(p.63)

Finally, I think good writing should have both of Writer-Based prose and Reader-Based prose to maintain the thought and the same meaning of the writer meanwhile it should be readable and communicate to the reader.

Writer-Based Prose: A Cognitive Basis for Problems in Writing

After reading first paragraph, I really agree with Linda Flower, especially the sentence mentioned that “If writing is simply the act of expressing what you think. Why is writing often such a difficult thing to do? She said like she can read my mind. :p

Writer-Based prose is the working of writer own verbal thought while Reader-Based prose attempt to communicate something to a reader.

It can be concluded that Reader-Based prose reflects the purpose of the writer’s thought; on the other hand, Writer-Based prose tends to reflect its process. Therefore, good writing is a combination of natural transformation and expressions of Writer-Based thought adapted to a reader.

For a long time I disappeared from Blogger… Now I’m come back.

Understanding Composing
The test of Sondra Perl for her student about felt sense is work for every beginner writer, I thought. The problems that a lot of writers were faced is “felt sense” and for me, too.
I think the meaning of felt sense is the feeling of the writers about something they stuck on the meaning of the word that they give for them. 3 causes of it is
1. Rereading – the writer reread their text again and again when they not finish their work so it make them stuck on word in their head. I think it upon their mind at that moment.
2. Key word – the writer stuck on key word that they give for their text or the word that they familiar with so it stuck and stuck on their mind or head so that make they felt sense.
3. Physically felt – the writer can’t get rid of their old understand or meaning of word or they can feel from their feeling, can’t explain.

Something that makes the writer felt sense- images, words, ideas, feelings.
If the writer can get rid of their felt sense, their work will flow or clicked.
Thanks.

Teaching the Other Self: The Writer’s First Reader.
“I’m on my own first reader” I accepted this sentence, the first reader of the text is the writer. But the good text or writing must have a good guide reader.
Donald M. Murray has compared the teacher is a map maker and the beginner or younger writer is an explorer. Teacher will not help their student but they must be guide behind their student. When I’ve read this text I thought the teacher must have 2 things is practice and experience. The teacher must be a responsive teacher - that mean they should listen to the student and teach where the student is not where the teacher wishes the student was.

WOW!!! That’s great… Thanks Mr.Murray.

The Peer Review Process
When I finished read this essay I thought about “group” I thought group is the important thing to do peer review activity. Because there are many people from different language background in the group, so when we do this activity we’ll receive many different comments.
I think peer review is look like the critique; the reader will ask or critique the writer about their work. It is a good thing for the writer because it is an effect from the reader that how they understanding the essay or text, it is an interaction is more realistic and the feedback is more powerful for the writer to improve their work.
I like the test of Hadi. I think it is necessary for the beginner reader that to do peer review. The one thing that I know is if you want to be a good reader or a good writer, you will read text a lot. It make you understand the thing that you don’t know and know all the text although you don’t know all words. That help you to do peer review more good.
Thanx.

PS. I will do all HW of Ajarn Karn... I hope it will finish soon. ^________^